The automotive supplier association CLEPA honored ZF as a top innovator in the “Green” category. The award-winning technology, an electric motor without rare earths, sets new standards in electromobility by dispensing with magnets and improving sustainability with the same performance.
An electric motor without rare earths
The awarded motor, named I²SM (In-Rotor Inductive-Excited Synchronous Machine), eliminates the need for magnets by using an inductive excitation system in the rotor. This groundbreaking technology enhances sustainability in electric vehicle production while maintaining top-tier performance. ZF explains that, compared with permanent magnet synchronous (PSM) motors, the I²SM motor offers greater efficiency, especially at high speeds, by eliminating the resistance losses caused by permanent magnets. It also reduces reliance on rare earth materials, known for their high environmental cost during mining and processing. This marks ZF’s fourth CLEPA Innovation Award in recent years, following wins for an autonomous shuttle in 2022, an eTrailer in 2020, and an Evasive Maneuver Assist system in 2017. CLEPA selected the winners from 80 applications, evaluating their impact on sustainable and climate-neutral mobility.